Can opener



Jan. 10, 1928. 1,655,948

H. GARRISON CAN OPENER Filed April 6, 1927 Patented Jun. 10, 1928..

UNITED STATES HERMAN GARRISON, 0 GHIGAG'U, llltlilltlllfl'tllhlzl.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed April 6,

The object of this invention is, to effectcertain modifications in that can opener Which is in practically universal use, and which operates lever of the second class, having a stock motliliecl at the end so as to ride the rim ota can and afford a fulcrum thereon, and. a downwardly offset uppercut lrnife which extends for enough past the end of the stock to permit penetration of the can by its point. Theirnproveznents sought are designed to facilitate the use of e longerlrnite than is made at the present time, entl the specific oh iect of this invention is to malre certain changes in the terminal part out the lrnife Which will contribute toward that result.

Fig. l is e side view, showing knife B rivetecl to stoclr r ll, which is set into a hanolle llhe cutting edges above and below are in rlicatecl by rlouhle lines, the lower being reuuirerl for the introduction of the longer lrnite into the con.

Fig. Q is an incomplete top plan View, showing the lateral curvature of the knife, uncl the strip metal stool: bent aside to form the hilcruin member D.

ii is also an incomplete top plan'view'. showing the lirst step in the modification oi the terminal port of the knife.

"Fl t is at front View of the fulcrum 1ne1nher l3, showing the notch ll; which forms the fulcrunr Fig. ti will he referrerl to in explaining the relations hetween the curvature of the ltniite and the curvature of the con.

lliuy. it shows the line of the incision marle lit the opener of Fig". Q.

The lrniiie must he curvecl to lit circular cons. Uur lirst prohlern is to determine the curvature hest atlapterl to cans oi varying sites.

It is impossible to use on u large can it lenethenecl lrnite Whose curvztture is scienterl to that of a small can. This stutement neecls no further prooi. than glance at li Which shows in full line a port of the circumference of a can l inches in tliurneter, soul in clottecl lines the lrerts cut li t it lmii'e Whose curvature is set to u diameter of 3 inches. liq howevcu We give the knife the curvature ot s large can it is possible to utleptits operation to a small can.

We have n mutual relation among): three eccentric curves: the curvature of the coin the leterul curvature of the knife, and the 1927. Serial Ito. 181,361.

re-entrant curve ot the uppercutting etlgre, exhibited at (it, Fig. l. I A

By operating the instrument on n lfrius We con rnalte the incision conform to the curvature of the smaller can, provirletl We can hriiur the upper cutting erlgge into intinmte contact with the rim of the con. llhe chiet obstacle met with is clue to the tact that, in order to introduce a lengthened lrni'le into the coin it of great uclvantage to increase the ls 'l. ot' that port of the hnil e which lies beyond. the end ot the stocle shown at P, Tl anal 3. This must he con shlerably greater len l than in the ortlinary can openers cit e no type.

'lPhis part of the lrniiie When appliecl to small cans, is very much in the Way, anal. even though it be rustle of spring}; steel. it is likely to pierce the Wall oi? the can insteatl ot moving alone; on the insirle. llhe most obvious (let ice for meetim the clitliculty is to bentl the part P to one sirle, shown in Fin: 3. This, however will utltl to the tii'liiculty oli insert-ion it hcinuj apparent that penetration can he more easily eilectetl When the point is more nearl gr in line with the direction oi the stoclt.

To give the rlesirczl direction to the point I employ the reverse curve shown in ll itr. 2, beginningat lit. lhe shoulder tormerl by an increase elf curvature in the lrnile Will inipetle its introduction into the can, it We atlopt the usual iuo'thotl oi pushing: the point forward aurl cl owun'arth l i e therefore adopt a different method. l i hen the ltuiit'e has pen etrateft the surface end its tlmvnwanl movement is checlretl by the ihrlcruln member, we more the handle lniclrwurtl ztlltl pry the lower cutting @[lgQQO into the can the elongatecl upper inar e'in at l? acting as a :lulcruui. The ol'liciency oil. this fulcrum Will he in creased by blruitinp; the upper eclpge ot the part as shown in Fig. l.

lln (5 the full line represents in part the rim of a can 3% inches in diameter, uutl the dotted line indicates the path of the in cision, the direction of the arlvuucino; ltnitc being shorm hp the :MTOW. The line lull? corresponds to the initial incision :lprinetl by inserting the point ot the lrniiie at lll until prying the knife into the can. 'llhe line hlW shows the next ker lit will be seen that h t this (levies l have eihctually clisposerl ot the obstacle presented by the projecting; part oil: the ltnifel The hlunt marginal portion uclltltl ltlt jacent the point of the knife is an ancient and well known structure employed on those openers which operate as levers of the first class in order to prevent dislodginent of the point at the completion of a kerf. It may be observed that in this instrument the structure referred to serves an entirely different purpose, and is functionally related both to the lower cutting edge with which it co-operates, and to the shoulder formed by the change in curvature of the knife, which necessitates the use of the upper margin as a fulcrum.

I claim:

1. A can opener in the form of a lever of the second class, having a guiding fulcrum formed by a recess at the end of a handled stock, and a downwardly offset uppercut knife, laterally curved in the direction of its length and extending forward past the guiding fulcrum; said knife being provided with an additional cutting edge on its lower margin and having its upper cutting edge rearwardly concave in outline; and that part of said knife which lies farther forward than the guiding fulcrum being laterally ofi'set by a reverse curve, the direction of displacement of the offset portion being toward that side of the instrument on which is situated the center of curvature of the directional curve of the knife.

2. can opener in the form of a lover of the second class, having a guiding fulcrum formed by a recess at the end of a handled stock, and a downwardly offset upper-cut knife secured to the stock and extending forward past the guiding fulcrum; said knife being laterally curved in the direction of its length and provided with an additional cutting edge on its lower margin; that portion of said knife which projects past the end of the fulcrum-bearing stock bein laterally offset by a curved jog, the direction of displacement of the offset portion being toward the inner side of the directional curve of the knife; and the pointed end of the instrument being provided with a flat upper face having a width of as great a magnitude as the thickness of the body of the knife.

HERMAN GARRISON. 

